Fearful Symmetry

Epilogue: Amphorus

Vincent Valentine stared with dulled, unseeing eyes at the stone alter before him. He knew that coming back to this place was folly—what did he wish to find, hidden behind the sheet of crystal water? Whatever magic within the cave was gone now, as if having leaked through the cracks in the blue walls. Lucrecia was gone now, as well. He continued to stare, however, as if she would return and speak once more. Even if she was a ghost, a hallucination—even his own mind's false creation—it didn't matter. He would do anything to see that face, and hear her voice.

But there was no apparition waiting for him; no gentle smile, nor sharp admonishment. The cave, save the shuffling movements of his party and the waterfall, was empty and silent. He closed his eyes, hoping to conjure some image there worth viewing, but again was disappointed. He could see only blood.

"Vincent?" As Cloud was their leader—his leader, now—it was he the others chose to speak to him as the minutes lapsed. "Do you want us to leave you?"

Vincent opened his eyes once more, gazing down at the stone floor. "I thought she might be here," he said quietly, not knowing why he was speaking. It felt good, however, to break the stillness.

The blonde nodded, a look of empathy in his face. When Vincent looked at him now, he saw many things that were in his own reflection—guilt, loss, sorrow. But Cloud had something in his brilliant blue eyes that the dark man didn't: will. Despite all the battles, punishments, and failures, Cloud would go on. He would march into Hell and challenge the origin of his nightmares, if only to keep going and to live.

Vincent envied that bravery. As a Turk he'd been flawless and dedicated, but even then the loss of his beloved Lucretia had deadened him. For three decades he had abandoned the world and himself, too ashamed by his own mistakes and weaknesses to emerge. But now, he was here, among these people who fought so hard and had so many reasons to live. Like Cloud, he would have to cast away his selfish fears and face the future, as terrible and lonely as it may be.

"You're going to fight Sephiroth, aren't you?"

Cloud nodded, a bit startled by the sudden question. "Yes. No matter what it takes."

"I thought so."

The young leader paused. Even after weeks of traveling together, he still didn't know how to react to the old Turk's stoic demeanor. "No one's asking you to go, Vincent. You don't have to."

Vincent didn't respond. Instead he reached into the front of his black shirt with his left hand, using the gold digits to cut through a piece of string tied about his torso. He removed the Gaea card. All these years he had kept it fastened to his heart as an old friend had instructed, trusting in the icon as the symbol of his penance. It kept the demon Chaos from emerging, even if other, less-developed creatures took its place. He believed that, as long as he could keep his full power from being exposed, he could not be completely consumed by it.

"No matter what," he repeated. "To fight Sephiroth. It will take all our power."

Cloud didn't reply, simply waiting.

"I will go with you." Vincent let the card slip from his fingers, watching as it slowly floated down to the damp cave floor. The red demon eyes stared back at him as if pleased. "Let us leave this place. There is much to prepare for."

Cloud nodded, signaling to the rest of their group that it was time to depart. They turned and exited the cave through the waterfall. Their leader followed last, glancing at Vincent one last time with a grim smile.

Vincent joined them, turning his back on the alter and the card. May Lucretia forgive me, his mind whispered, for what I have done. Someday… He sighed, and shook his head. The card had released him only moments before, and already he could feel something in his insides changing.

I'm beginning to feel less human.

*End

Okay, so this one didn't end so happily, but, oh well! Let me know what you thought.